Studying VCE Business Management isn’t just for those who want to run their own company one day; it’s also the perfect stepping stone for a career in just about any sector or industry. Studying Business Management gives you a broad understanding of how businesses work, plus you gain insights into communication, finance, strategy, customers and markets. Having the skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to any organisation is a huge plus, but before you get there, you have to ace the exams first!

We went straight to the source to get you the best advice for passing Year 12 Business Management. Jeff Edwards has been teaching Business Management for more than 25 years, and currently teaches at Emerald Secondary College.

Keep it simple with your study notes

’Use diagrams, lists, pictures and mnemonics to help you remember the content,’ Jeff says. ’The aim is to be able to recall your study notes automatically.’ Depending on how you like to study, it’s easy for things to get a little out of hand with pages and pages of notes. So, try to get creative while keeping it simple. Jeff recommends flashcards, seeking out apps, getting friends to test you, and trying to find ways to make the material fun.

'Use diagrams, lists, pictures and mnemonics to help you remember the content. The aim is to be able to recall your study notes automatically.'

Know your case studies

Case studies will come up a lot in Business Management so it’s important that you learn the ins and outs of the case studies you’re given or choose. Ask yourself, ’Which KPIs did the business analyse? What operations strategies did they use? How did they apply the three steps of Lewin’s Change Model?’ Jeff recommends learning both the case study itself as well as the key knowledge you’ll gather during your studies.

Get to know the task words and answer the real question

Task words are the ‘doing’ words in assessment and exam questions – words like compare, discuss, propose and evaluate. ’Often, students will show great skill and knowledge for a question on the exam, but will not receive any marks because their answer did not respond to the question,’ Jeff explains. Make sure you take your time to learn what each ‘task’ word requires in the lead up to exams, and tackle questions with a highlighter to break them down.

Look at the forest and the trees

’In The Learning Organisation, Peter Senge writes about seeing both the forest and the trees,’ Jeff says. You may be thinking: huh? But, as Jeff explains, when it comes to Business Management it means understanding each area of study separately as well as the course as a whole. ’Business scenarios often touch on business foundations, along with reviewing performance and implementing change. It wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine a business scenario that had implications for every area of study.’

Get cracking with your study early – and take breaks!

We know, you’ve heard it all before! But as Jeff explains: ’It’s important to start as soon as you can, so that you’re not doing things at the last minute.’ Bear in mind that whether you started studying diligently at the beginning of the year or you’re just getting stuck into it now, you’re not too late. By the time you enter exam season next term, you’ll be able to put in a solid effort. Jeff’s top tip for exam prep? Don’t try to study for 10 hours straight; your mum might be impressed, but your brain won’t retain much! Take breaks, get outside, walk the dog or get something to eat.

Are you thinking about your options after Year 12? Check out our course and career search tool Explore to find some inspiration.

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